The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1887-03-19

We strained the mix az"
and then ate our supper. After tl's -"
r the dishes and food LOT
fsther and mother, keeping ire IN ING
s.ove 90 that tea could be made at on,o
81 their return, for we knew they wou.u
he both hungry and tired from ''i'''
long, dark ride. 49,. Won
The clock struck nine. Don ~:
think we had better 60 to beds salu
Kate, folding up her apron = no o no.
think there is any use in our sl'"ns
up" ,s.,nv worr;ed
about us,'' said, as we went up STAIRS,
There's nothing to be afraid OF,
ss,d Kate. II should not be frightened
Il they stayed away all night -
With much laughter we got our p,s
bottle of complexion varnish. as na'o
called it. Taking a piece Of rag, we
gave to our faces thick coating wnicn
resembled nothing else had ever s'o"
before or have seen since.
II suppose we shall have to sit up 70
let IL dry in," / said, as contemPia,eu
myself In the glass. ut won I 40 ior
US to ruin the pillow-cases.
.rm too tired to sit up SAID Aa'c,
..Whv can't we make cloth mSskss
Where 8 that old pique spread you "e'o
cutting up Yesterday?
/ produced it from the lower shell Oh
the washstand, and the masks were
soon made. They were simply long
pieces of white cloth reaching from the
tops of our forehcads to the collars OF
our night-dresses, with small noies 10,
the ewes and nostrils. We attached
strings to them, and tied them on. :.
1--WE look like veritable spooks,
said Kate, Just before she blew OUT inc
light and jumped into bed.
We both soon fell asleep. 1t must
have been near midnight when was
awakened by a noise in the dining
room. which was directly below the
one we occupied. 1t sounded as i some
one was moving about stealthily-or
some thing, rather, for | decided at
once that it was Tige. walked Kate
by giving her vigorous punch in the
back.
"Kate," said, 1--WE must have shut.
old Tige up in the dining-room. Very
likely he hid in the china closet when
the storm came on, and fell asleep
there. We must go down and let him
out"
Haven't father and mother conner!
asked Kate, sleepily.
II guess not" answered, II hav-
emit heard them"
We did not stop to put on our shoes
or light candle, but stole down just
| as we were, and entered the sitting
room, which communicated with the
diping-room by a folding-door. Adj
vancing to this door, we pushed it open.
expecting to be greeted by Tge's
familiar whine. What was our surprise
and horror to see the back of one man
| in the china closet directly opposite u.s.
and a burly negro busily engaged by
the light Of a lantern. in preparing to
take the silver and linen from the
dining-table, in what seemed to be q
stout canvas bag.
Paralyzed with fear, we stood in the
/ doorway, not able to speak or stir,
scarcely to breathe. The sound made
by the opening of the door, however,
caused the man at the table to look up.
For one instant he gazed at us with
dropped jaw, and eyes almost starting
from their sockets, then, giving yell
which might have been heard half .
mile of, he let fall the silver he was
holding. and with one bound was out of
the open window. His companion,
startled by his cutlery, rushed out of the
closet in alarm. Pen could not describe
his abject terror, as his eyes fell on us,
and his yell as he sprang toward the
window was even louder than that
which had been given by his COM
panion. We could hear the sound Of
their labored breathing as they both
rushed away in the darkness. For q
moment was at loss to account for
their strange terror; but a glance at
Kate made it clear.
In our long white night-dresses and
white masks we certainly looked like
veritable ghosts. Negroes are exceed
ingly superstitious, and these men, 1 am
sure, supposed we were unquiet spirits
come from the graveyard not far away.
to rebuke them for the crime in which
they were engaged. We spent the rest
Of the night in a state of nervous terror,
which made us heartily glad when al
seven O'Clock we heard the sound Of
wheels. and saw our parents drive up ia
the door. Owing to the washing away
of bridge, they had been unable ID
get home the previous night, and had
accepted the hospitality Of farmer
near Warrenton, who had provided